Cyber Essentials pricing: what UK businesses should expect (and how to keep costs sensible)
If you run a business with 10–200 staff, you’ve probably heard that Cyber Essentials is the baseline everybody recommends. But between the certificate, IT work, and the endless options consultants offer, the price tags can feel opaque. This guide cuts through the fog: what drives costs, where you can be pragmatic, and how to balance budget against real business risk.
What is being priced?
When people ask about “Cyber Essentials pricing” they’re usually thinking of three things: the certification fee, the technical work to meet the requirements, and any ongoing effort to keep things compliant. Think of the certification as the final receipt: it proves you’ve met a set of controls. The rest is what you actually need to do to earn that receipt.
Certification vs. remediation
The certification fee covers the assessment process — either self-assessment or an external audit for the more rigorous Cyber Essentials Plus. Remediation covers patching systems, configuring firewalls, documenting policies, and possibly replacing unsupported kit. For many businesses the latter is the larger chunk of cost, especially if ageing hardware or bespoke systems are involved.
Typical cost drivers
Here are the main things that move the price needle, in plain language:
- Certification route: Self-assessment is cheaper; Cyber Essentials Plus (which includes testing) costs more.
- Size and complexity: More users, more devices, and remote workers mean more effort to inventory and secure systems.
- Existing IT setup: If your network is tidy and devices are up to date, costs are lower. If you’re still running ancient servers in a cupboard, expect a larger bill.
- Third-party help: Using a consultant to prepare documentation and demonstrate controls makes the process smoother but adds professional fees.
- Remediation work: Time spent patching, replacing kit, or updating processes can be the invisible but real cost.
- Ongoing maintenance: Cyber Essentials is not a one-off — maintaining updates and password hygiene keeps you compliant and reduces future costs.
How much should you expect to pay?
There’s no single figure that fits all, but here’s a practical banding to help with budgeting:
- Small firms with tidy IT: certification (self-assessment) plus minimal prep might be a few hundred pounds in direct fees and a couple of days of in-house time.
- Mid-sized firms (10–200 staff) with average setups: budget for a few hundred to a few thousand pounds when you include consultant time or internal staff hours to patch and document controls.
- Cyber Essentials Plus or complex environments: if you need testing, significant remediation, or hardware upgrades, costs can rise into the several thousands.
Those ranges aren’t a precise survey — they’re what I’ve seen repeatedly across UK businesses from accountants in Surrey to manufacturers in the West Midlands. The key point is this: direct certification fees are rarely the biggest cost. The work you need to do to meet the standard usually is.
Ways to keep costs sensible
You don’t need to overpay to be secure. Most savings come from planning and prioritisation, not haggling with suppliers.
Do a realistic inventory first
Knowing what devices and software you actually run removes surprises. I’ve audited firms where forgotten test servers or an unmanaged laptop were the sticking point — quick to fix once spotted, but costly if discovered late.
Tackle easy wins early
Patch management, removing obsolete admin accounts, and enforcing basic password rules often get you most of the way there. These are low-cost, high-impact fixes that remove the need for larger changes later.
Choose the right certification route
If you don’t need Cyber Essentials Plus for a tender or insurer, the self-assessment route is perfectly valid for many organisations. If a buyer specifically asks for Plus, then budget accordingly — but don’t pay for Plus for prestige alone.
Be pragmatic about hardware upgrades
Replacing everything at once is rare and expensive. Often a phased approach or targeted replacements (end-of-life servers, unsupported operating systems) keeps costs manageable.
Who should you get to help?
Your options are: do it in-house, use a consultant, or ask a managed service provider to handle both compliance and ongoing security. If your IT team is small and already stretched, bringing in a consultant for the assessment and to coach your staff can save time and reduce risk. Conversely, if you have competent IT staff, the cost of external help may outweigh the benefits.
For practical advice and a sense of what’s involved in a typical UK assessment, see this Cyber Essentials certification guidance — it’s useful when deciding whether to keep things in-house or bring someone in.
Budgeting timeline
Plan for 2–8 weeks from start to certificate in most cases. Simple self-assessments can be completed in a week or two if your systems are up to date. If remediation is needed, allow extra time. Rushing tends to increase cost — you’ll pay premium rates for emergency fixes and overtime.
Insurance, tenders and the wider business case
Cyber Essentials commonly lowers paperwork for tenders and can persuade insurers to be more favourable. Those benefits don’t always translate into direct savings on day one, but they reduce friction when bidding for work and can lower the chance of nasty surprises later. For many firms the certificate buys credibility as much as security.
Bottom line
Cyber Essentials pricing is less about a single sticker price and more about how tidy your IT already is and how much help you need. Expect to pay for the work required to meet the controls more than the certificate itself. With a little planning you can keep costs sensible: inventory, prioritise quick wins, choose the right certification route, and avoid emergency upgrades.
FAQ
How much does the Cyber Essentials certificate itself cost?
The direct cost of the certificate depends on whether you choose self-assessment or Cyber Essentials Plus. The fee is only part of the picture — factor in the time and any technical fixes needed to meet the standard.
Can we do it entirely in-house?
Yes, provided you have someone who understands your devices, patching, and basic network settings. Many UK firms manage the self-assessment internally; bring in external help where you lack capacity or need Plus testing.
Will Cyber Essentials stop all cyber risk?
No single certification eliminates risk. Cyber Essentials reduces common vulnerabilities and demonstrates basic good practice — it’s a foundation, not a guarantee. Treat it as the start of an ongoing security approach.
How often do we need to renew it?
Certificates are typically renewed annually. Keeping up with patches and simple controls throughout the year makes renewals straightforward and less costly.
If we don’t have an in-house IT person, is it worth hiring a consultant?
Bringing a consultant can speed the process and avoid costly missteps. Many small IT teams find it more cost-effective to pay for expertise for a few days than to struggle and extend the timeline.
Ready to make Cyber Essentials work for your business, not the other way around? A modest investment in the right places will save time, reduce future spend on emergency fixes, and give you a clearer line on credibility with customers and insurers — leaving you calmer and better prepared.
